I suppose cheesecake isn't exactly a pie. It's, well, a cake. But for some reason I've always considered it a member of the pie family.

Moving on.

If you've read this blog for awhile, you know I'm a big fan of cheesecake. I like all kinds, really, and made my very first cheesecake from scratch last November, after reading about it on Dawn's blog. Because it came out so well, I've made that pumpkin cheesecake several times since then, and a few regular cheesecakes too. And they've all turned out great, which is as shocking to me as it is to anyone.

But prior to Easter, I've never before made a chocolate cheesecake. Now, as you know, I'm not a chocolate fan. I don't like it, and haven't since I was a little girl. But as most other people on the planet do, my family members love it, so I set out to make Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake for them.

I wouldn't call this cheesecake a "chocolate cheesecake," because for me, that calls to mind a brown cheesecake, and as you can see, this one turned out more marbled. And I can't give you my review of how it tasted, because I didn't have any. It's still chocolate, people, even if it IS cheesecake! But I can tell you my family loved it, and it went the quickest of the three desserts I made. So, based on their reviews, I'd say I'd make this one again too!

Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup very soft or melted unsalted butter

18 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 to 1 TSP lime juice (to taste)

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

8-inch springform pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put the kettle on to boil.

2. Process the crackers and butter together in a food processor and press into the bottom of the pan. Then, stick the pan in the fridge until the filling is ready.

3. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, and then mix in the sugar. Add the eggs and yolks, one by one, beating in after each addition. Pour in the sour cream and the lime juice and beat until smooth and creamy. Taste to see if you want a more sour base, and if so, add more lime juice. Gently fold in the melted chocolate. You want a cheesecake marbled with chocolate, so don't combine fully.

4. Line the springform pan with aluminum foil on the outside, and then repeat. Stand the pan in a roasting pan, and fill it with the mixture. Pour hot water from the boiled kettle into the roasting pan to come 3/4 to 1 inch up the side of the cake plan. Place in oven and cook for one hour.

5. When the cheesecake is ready, it should have browned a little on the edges and the center should be just set on top, with a hint of wobble in the center. Remove the cake tin and tear away the foil. Sit on a rack to cool, then refrigerate before unmolding and leaving it to get back to room temperature.

I also made this Key Lime Pie. While I love Key Lime Pie, and I've made it a few times, I'm still in search of how to make it more sturdy. When you cut into it, it's not that firm, and is a bit wobbly. Anyone have any ideas? Maybe it's supposed to be like this?

Quick Snapshot:

34-year-old writer andmother to a daughterborn in August 2006 followingIVF and girl/boy twins born in October 2008 following FET. Come along as I document the search for my lost intellect. It's a bumpy ride. Consider yourself warned.